---
title: Considered Gear
canonical: "https://consideredgear.com/"
description: "Plain-English reviews and buying guides for running your own technology at home — local AI you own, the maker workshop, and home automation that answers to you, not the cloud."
---

# Your house. Your hardware. Your rules.

Plain-English reviews and buying guides for running your own technology at home — local AI you own, the maker workshop, and home automation that answers to you, not the cloud.

[What AI can my computer run?](https://consideredgear.com/tools/local-ai-fit/) — find a first model to try, a useful test and whether an upgrade is worth considering.

## Start here

- [Local AI](https://consideredgear.com/local-ai/) — Run real AI on a box in your own house — no monthly bill, no company reading your chats. What it costs, what it can do, and what to buy.
- [Compare local-AI hardware](https://consideredgear.com/guides/best-way-to-run-ai-at-home-2026/) — Four local-AI hardware approaches, with configuration, software and complete-cost checks to make before buying.
- [Home Automation](https://consideredgear.com/home-automation/) — Lights, sensors, locks and voice that keep working when the internet does not — because the brains live in your house.

## The current pick

[Apple Home vs Home Assistant in 2026: keep Siri, add the automations?](https://consideredgear.com/guides/apple-home-vs-home-assistant-2026/) — Already use Apple Home? Learn when Home Assistant is worth adding, which hub or computer you actually need, and how HomeKit Bridge, HomeKit Device and Matter sharing differ before you move anything.

## Latest

- [Guide] [Home Assistant ZBT-2 vs ZBT-1: buy, keep, or migrate in 2026?](https://consideredgear.com/guides/home-assistant-zbt-2-vs-zbt-1-2026/) — ZBT-2 or your old SkyConnect? Compare Zigbee vs Thread, migration risks, USB placement and when keeping a working coordinator makes more sense.
- [Guide] [Home Assistant Green vs Raspberry Pi 5 vs Mini PC in 2026](https://consideredgear.com/guides/home-assistant-green-vs-raspberry-pi-5-vs-mini-pc-2026/) — Choose reliable Home Assistant hardware in 2026. Compare Green, Raspberry Pi 5, N100 or N150 mini PCs, used desktops and Proxmox without guessing prices.
- [Guide] [Ollama vs LM Studio vs Open WebUI: what should you use?](https://consideredgear.com/guides/ollama-vs-lm-studio-vs-open-webui-2026/) — Choose a local AI setup that fits your computer. Compare Ollama, LM Studio and Open WebUI by privacy, ease of use, hardware, local APIs and upkeep.
- [Guide] [How much VRAM do you need for local LLMs](https://consideredgear.com/guides/how-much-vram-local-llm/) — Work out whether a local LLM fits an 8GB, 12GB, 16GB or 24GB GPU. Real model sizes, context-memory math and an Ollama check before you buy.
- [Guide] [SER8 vs used RTX 3090: count the whole computer](https://consideredgear.com/guides/ser8-vs-used-rtx-3090-total-cost/) — Compare a SER8 8845HS with 32 GB/1 TB against a used RTX 3090 in an existing compatible desktop or a new build. A dated research guide, not a benchmark.
- [Blog] [What to check before running Cloudflare Clef at home](https://consideredgear.com/blog/cloudflare-clef-at-home/) — Open weights make Clef worth investigating for local automation. The hardware and software deserve a closer look before you buy anything.